How to Enable Training for Your Sales Team

How Training Enablement Enhances Sales Training

Training enablement and sales training are linked because enablement supports the methodology taught in training. After completing training, sellers rely on enablement professionals to provide tools, content, and metrics that ensure the learned methodology translates into effective sales practices to be applied to everyday pursuits. Because it facilitates the application of learnings to promote sustained behavior change, sales training enablement helps make the training efforts in your organization as effective as possible.

10 Tips for Enabling Sales Training

Enablement professionals must constantly keep their resources and tactics up to date in a way that reflects changes in buyer behavior and changes within the sales organization. Due to its ongoing nature, the task of training enablement can be daunting. Here are 10 tips for enablement professionals to effectively support seller's pre- and post-sales training.

01. Make Performance Visible with Measurement

Sales training becomes more compelling when sellers see its value reflected in performance measurements. Management also has an opportunity to signal their commitment to the methodology by selecting metrics that align with the behaviors taught in training.

02. Keep Lessons Concise

Sellers are sensitive to demands on their time. Minimize time out-of-market by delivering training or sustainment exercises in small, easily digestible segments. This approach also encourages quick application of learned skills to in-play pursuits, enhancing engagement.

03. Pair Training with Coaching

To sustain new skills managers must become effective coaches. Managers should acquire effective coaching skills to foster a collaborative approach in keeping sellers aligned with the intended methodology.

04. Connect Training to CRM Tools

Embed the intended selling behaviors in your organization's CRM tools for continuous guidance. Sales training succeeds when sellers have an objective way to track pursuits against training-aligned goals.

05. Make it Interactive

Training is more engaging when sellers approach the material in a variety of ways. Plan to include opportunities for interactive exercises like role-play, Q&A sessions, live polling, and open discussion.

06. Prime Sellers for Learning

Sellers need to enter training with a willingness to learn. Managers have a responsibility to preface training with material that explains why the training is occurring, why now, and how it will help sellers yield stronger selling outcomes.

07. Emphasize Practicality

The job of selling is constantly changing. Sellers need to know that the skills they will learn are versatile and applicable to diverse buyers and purchasing methods. Leaders should underscore the enduring nature of these skills.

08. Aim for Inclusivity

Sales organizations often represent a range of tenures. Be sure to keep training inclusive by getting experienced and new sellers alike to participate. Sellers are more able to work together when everyone is aligned to the same methodology.

09. Focus on Incremental Growth

Learning and adopting new skills takes time. Make sales training less intimidating by setting reasonable expectations. Communicate the intention of growing skills incrementally so that taking the first step doesn’t feel like a leap.

10. Offer Expanded Training

Boost the value of training by offering additional instruction in focused areas. For example, consider offering negotiation training or prospecting training to help sellers hone specific skills for different parts of the sales cycle.

Converting Sales Training and Enablement into Sales Readiness

Sales training and sales enablement initiatives are two sides of the same coin. Training introduces new skills and enablement helps bring them into the market and sustain them.

At Richardson, we combine the strengths of both to bring a holistic training experience to selling organizations. Our Sprint Selling program shows sellers how to develop an agile approach to selling in an unpredictable and constantly changing setting.

The CRM-enabled workflow tools included with the Sprint Selling program help sellers apply effective selling skills at the right moment, advancing sales and driving revenue. These tools make it easy to bring the most effective selling skills into the flow of work for visible and impactful results.

Selling is more competitive than it has ever been. Winning the sale means having a plan to both develop skills and effectively deploy them. Richardson’s combination of sales training and sales technology does exactly that.